Jesus of Nazareth: What He Wanted, Who He Was: A Book Review

When preparing for my Holy Week retreat in 2023, my spiritual director suggested a book for my reflection, Jesus of Nazareth: What He Wanted, Who He Was by Gerhard Lohfink.

In the introduction to the book, Lohfink says: This book intends to be serious about the fact that Jesus was a Jew and lived entirely in and out of Israel’s faith experiences, but at the same time he brought those experiences to their goal and fulfillment. Those who want to really understand Jesus and what he was cannot avoid allowing themselves to be drawn into his faith”.

Moving to the sections on the journey to Jerusalem and the passion and death of Jesus, I was totally drawn into the pages of this remarkable book. For example, in Chapter 16, “Dying for Israel” the statement is made that “the reign of God does not come without persecution and sacrifice. It comes precisely when Jesus himself can do no more, but surrenders and sacrifices himself for the sake of God’s truth.” Then in chapter 17 the author goes into great detail to walk the reader through the final moments in the life of Christ, culminating in the final statement that “the examination of the passion of Jeus cannot be about diluting or downplaying the guilt of Jesus’s opponents. On the contrary, it is about uncovering the depths of that guilt, because that is how we will uncover the guilt of us all.”  My time spent with Christ during the days of my retreat became an intimate journey thanks to Lohfink’s book.

Returning to the beginning of the book, I have been inspired by the author’s examination of “The Call to Discipleship” and the “Many Faces of the Being Called” and am looking forward to seeing what the author will uncover about the “Jesus’ Parables” in Chapter 7. I have taken my time with this book as it is not one to be read through quickly. As James Martin said in his appraisal of the book: “It is that rarest of books on Jesus in which the author combines solid exegetical work with a profound sense of the spiritual. On top of that, it’s beautifully written. Lohfink’s book is in every way a joy”.  I couldn’t have said it better.

Marian Durkin, CSA